How we Reimagined a Love Song

*gasp!*

RL • KLAV’s song, “Lover,” is about love, longing, and desire. Now, we could’ve made a music video about two lovers professing their love for each other, and that would be all well and good, but as with most things we do in the studio, we dug deeper, conceptually and personally. With its long synths and smooth sax (complete with twinkly chimes!), the song presents itself as an indulgent modern love letter to the 80s; this, coupled with the constant notes of fantasy and desire, all pulled us to one direction: an indulgent modern love letter to slasher movies.

Yes.

Alongside RL • KLAV, we decided to pair the sweet tones of the music with a generally dark storyline to create a contrasting feel to the MV. To ground the contrasting feel, however, we pulled from some concepts explored within the music itself, namely fantasy and desire, both of which can be experienced within the lyrics of the music (pasted below for your convenience).

Boy I wanna, Be your lover
Be all night all day just thinking bout you
I wanna be your precious
Little thing for you will you do me too oh

My mind is dancing
To the song of lalalove
I am taking off
Boy I wanna, Be your lover

Detached from the ground

In between the clouds
Cruising thru rainbows
Us and the cupids
Gon’ just stay here

So we fly (we fly)
So high (so high)
Up high
All day all night
So we fly
So high
Up high

From these concepts, ideas, and lyrics, our resident director (and film buff) and creative lead set off to craft a simple storyline that captures the sense of fantasy and desire, mixed with playful nods to 80s slasher movies. We had long, fun nights of exploring how the slasher genre ultimately captures the sense of fantasy and desire alongside coming up with different tropes to borrow for the MV. Alongside our creative lead and art department, we opted to borrow the “cupid” theme from the lyrics, and adapt it as a masked killer, borrowing visuals from classics such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween, mixing it with Anton Chigurh’s hairstyle from No Country for Old Men.

We also decided on the least expressive cupid mask available to amp up the creepy factor.

One decision we settled on for the MV was to shift the hunter/hunted relationship between the masked killer and the victim halfway into the story, prompting several playful chase scenes, in which we could then insert either reference to other films, or just ways in which the victim outwit our masked murderer.

Yes, that’s a broken cabinet as a weapon and shield. No cabinets were harmed during the making of this Music Video. Our creative lead’s thumb was, however.

Ultimately — and if you’ve read this far, then we suppose you’ve at least seen the MV, otherwise, spoilers! — the biggest decision we had from the start to adhere the storyline to the song is to turn the whole scenario into a romantic roleplay between the two characters, going back full circle into the main theme of the song; fantasy and desire.

So that’s how we reimagined a love song, we dig deep into the song, find angles that we can explore further, and dive right to the deep end, before coming head to head to an actual masked killer (more spoilers!).

welp.

Now that you have been thoroughly spoiled, feel free to watch the MV here!

NYRA studio is a creative production company crafting engaging and meaningful visual stories for brands and companies through video, film, and photography. You can follow us at our Instagram here.

Adhytia Putra is the photographer and creative lead of NYRA studio. You can stalk his antics in his Instagram here.